Acute stroke affects more than of about 6.2 million patients per annum on a global scale. A significant proportion, approximately twenty five percent, of stroke patients demonstrates neurological (brain) deterioration either concurrently or independently of heart rhythm disturbances. Neurological deterioration and heart rhythm (cardiac arrhythmia) disturbances are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. However, if neurological deterioration or cardiac arrhythmia is detected early, an opportunity for medical or surgical intervention exists, the expedited treatment of which will likely lead to improved outcomes.
The monitoring of brain function deterioration and heart rhythm disturbances (termed cardiac arrhythmia) requires frequent nursing observations and assessments (e.g. neurological examination and pulse examination). The current clinical practice for monitoring cardiac arrhythmia in stroke patients stipulate 2 to 3 assessments per day. However, neurological deterioration and cardiac arrhythmia are paroxysmal in nature and often occur in stroke patients without any warnings. It follows that current frequency of monitoring of stroke patients is prone to delayed diagnosis, leading to missed opportunities for medical and surgical intervention.
Currently, the patients are admitted in intensive care unit (ICU) when they have stroke or other cardio-vascular ailments. The patient could be in comatose state or non-comatose state. They end up spending significant time in intensive care unit (ICU) or other critical care scenarios. However, abnormal muscular activities pertaining to stroke patients need to be identified and treated at an early stage. It is found that aggressive physiotherapy with patients ensures quicker recovery after discharge. For this to be actionable, the doctor or the physiotherapist needs to have full knowledge regarding the condition of patient limbs which provide indirect but measurable markers of neural activity.